Murder Mystery Games?

[raevyncait]

I am helping to plan a murder mystery party for a group of somewhere between 8 & probably 18 adults. It's a church group, so nothing to risque. We've found a couple of sites online that have some cool looking ones. We'd like the least expensive option possible, but we want something that will be entertaining, engaging and fun...

Anybody have experience with any specific versions of the games? Thanks ya'll

[Kiss-me-Kate]

My friends and I did one years ago.  If memory serves, it was a board game, and it was set in the forties on a train.  We all went to the thrift store and got forties style out fits ( I even bought lucky strikes -ewww! nasty! ) and got dolled up.  Even the boys in our group got dressed up.

I was a Duchess or Princess or something, and ended up being the murderer.  (You don't know who did it, until your "Host/ess" tells you.

We had a blast!   So I definitely recommend it.  If I recall, the game was literally called "How to Host a Murder"

[Marietta Graziella]

Kate is correct!  Host a Murder games were sort of like a board game, sort of like an ongoing play with a roughed in script.  We've done several of these (years ago) and they are always fun.  They even come with example invites, costume ideas, and script info. 

[Noble Dreg]

Well seems pretty obvious to me, you're doing it for a church group so clearly you could do a Cain and Abel thing.  Tell everyone to dress as...oh, mystery...uh nevermind.

[mehan]

Oh, carp.... I had several of those How to Host A Murder games in the early 90's - even hosted one at a casino in Nevada  The Watersdown Affair (that one was pretty risque - of the characters was a soft porn star, having starred in "She Bends Over to Conquer" - I had it put on the marquee at the casino - my friend  was mortified).  

But others were much tamer - Who Hung Woo we did at a chinese restaurant. 

But darnit - I JUST got rid of them at a yard sale and I understand the company went out of biz after only about 6 games....

Well, I'll be dipped - googled it and obviously they aren't out of biz - Amazon has a whole line of them.  They don't have Who Hung Woo - but they had Star Trek (the only other one I did and that wasn't risque) but I can't speak for the "church-ness" of the others and since, in order to play you don't know the risque factor until you are actually playing the game, I can't give recommendations.   I will say they make it pretty fool proof to do one. 

[raevyncait]

awesome! Thanks for the suggestions ya'll

[serenamoonsilver]

Just wanted to add that every year in high school, I hosted a murder mystery party for my friends.  After the first year, I wrote them all myself.  Just a thought if you are afraid of not finding something "Church appropriate"

[Mairte]

We did this for our womens weekend one year (all the women in the family get together for a weekend.)
It was in the newspaper. I dont remember all the specifics but will ask tomorrow and post it.

[Cateyes]

Here are a few great places to find what I think you are looking for.

http://www.mymysteryparty.com/adult.html

http://www.playmurdermystery.com/

http://www.dinnerandamurder.com/

http://www.nightofmystery.com/shop/category/mysteries/all/